Regular Research ArticlesAttention and Executive Control Predict Alzheimer Disease in Late Life: Results From the Berlin Aging Study (BASE)
Section snippets
Study Design
We used a case–control design within a longitudinal study of aging. This design allowed to compare incident cases of AD (participants who developed AD in the course of the study) with nonconverters (participants who remained non-demented throughout the study period), using baseline assessment at a time when all participants were free of dementia.
The sample used in this study was derived from the Berlin Aging Study (BASE), an interdisciplinary, longitudinal study of aging.29 A total of 516
RESULTS
Of the 187 participants of the BASE sample (mean age: 79.63 years; range: 69–99 years) included in the analysis, 93 were women, and 94 were men. A total of 15 patients (8.4%; 7 women, 8 men) were diagnosed with AD after 4 years. At baseline, incident AD cases differed from nonconverters in age, but not in level of education. All baseline test scores of incident AD cases were significantly lower than in the nonconverters (Table 1).
The final factor solution generated two factors. Factor loadings
DISCUSSION
These findings confirm that the clinical diagnosis of AD is preceded by a preclinical stage that extends to 4 years and beyond. At baseline, differential deficits in several neuropsychological domains were found: Incident AD cases and nonconverters differed at baseline in tests of attention and executive functioning, and in tests of learning and recall. Tasks from both domains were valid measures of attention and executive function versus learning and recall in that they reflected separable
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This study was conducted in the context of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE), Psychiatry Research Unit (Chair: Prof. H. Helmchen). BASE was supported by grants from the Federal Ministry of Research, and the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs and Senior Citizens (314-1722-102/9(a)). Michael A. Rapp was supported by the German Research Fund (DFG GRK 429-1).